Wednesday, 29 April 2015

The truth about the Rhino massacre

White Rhino.

Rhino
poaching

The magnificent
rhino which has been roaming the Earth for around 60 million years, is under grave
threat from heartless poachers. They are facing near extinction. By
2025 rhinos might no longer walk our planet if poaching continues at the rate
it is.

Many years
ago there were thirty different species of the rhino but in todays World there are only five species left. Rhinos used to be found in great numbers throughout
Africa and Asia with a population of about 500 000 in the early 20th
century.

Three of
these species are types of Asian Rhinos and two of the species are African
Rhinos. All rhinos are listed as threatened but three of these species are known
to be critically endangered, meaning that they are facing a very high risk of
extinctionin the wild.

The name Rhinoceros
comes from the ancient Greek word meaning ‘horned nose’, which can grow up to
three inches a year.It is this very horned nose that has
put them on the top of the list for poaching, with a black market value higher
than that of cocaine and gold.

Rhino horn
is believed in Chinese traditions to hold magical healing powers for helping to
heal ailments such as arthritis, vomiting, and even cancer among others.
However this belief has been scientifically disproved yet poaching is still very
real. A rhinos’ horn is made from the
same substance that your hair and nails are made of – keratin. In Vietnamese the
rhino horn is used as a recreational drug.

The rhino
horn also holds a superficial status of wealth for the elite and is made into
dagger handles, bowls, and necklaces among other ornamental uses.

A rhino’s
horn belongs on a rhino, with which they have many uses. Their horns are used
to dig into the ground to uncover food, or as a weapon for self-defence, and
mother rhinos use their horns to guide their babies.

In India and
Nepal, organized gangs of poachers pay the poverty stricken locals to tell them
where the rhinos can be found. These gangs then move into the location of the rhinos
and kill them. Other devastating actions against rhinos take place in Malaysia
and Indonesia, where forest plantations are growing at rapid rates, which end
up destroying the rhinos’ habitat.

When a
rhino’s horn is so cruelly taken from them this is often done without anaesthesia, causing them immense agony. Rhinos are also sometimes killed before
their horns are taken either by being shot or they overdose on tranquillers. Once
their horn has been stolen they are abandoned without shame by the poachers and
can easily succumb to the brutal act by bleeding to death. If they do survive after
the attack, the wound could become infected.

Poaching
in South Africa

South Africa
has the largest population of rhinos found in the world making poaching rive
within the country. During 2014, in South Africa, 1 215 rhinos were killed
by poachers, shockingly that is one killed every 8 hours. Kruger National Park
holds the majority of South African rhinos making it the biggest hotspot for
poaching.

The number
of poached rhinos has increased from 1 004 in 2013, despite efforts in the
fight against the illegal slaughter of rhinos. If poaching remains at this rate
or gets worse, by the year 2018, rhino deaths will overtake births.

Last year
386 arrests were made on poachers compared to 165 arrests in the year 2010. Punishments
have become more severe and arrests are on the increase.

The fight
against poaching

Foundations
such as Save the Rhino International, WWF and Stop Rhino Poaching are doing their best to
help the rhinos survive this horrendous massacre. You can play your part by
making a donation which goes towards training and equipment.

Never reveal the location you have seen any rhinos as poachers might be able to access that information. Report any activity you see as suspicious.

According to
News24, tourists over this past weekend (25th – 26th
April 2015) played a part in the arrests of poachers in Kruger National Park.
They spotted two men crossing a road late at night, alerted the rangers who
then called in the SAPS. The two men were apprehended and found in possession of
two rhino horns, a rifle, ammunition and poaching equipment.

The truth about the West African Black Rhino

The Western African Black Rhino.

Their
numbers drastically decreased in the 1970’s and 1980’s due to the illegal act
of poaching.

They were the rarest of the black rhino subspecies and were
officially declared extinct in 2011 by the
International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

By the year 2000, there were only 10 remaining.

2001, was the last time Western African Black Rhinos
were seen. Five were seen in Cameroon.

Searches continued through to 2006 for the rhinos, and that
is when they were declared likely to be extinct.

Scientific American gave news that the Western African
Black Rhino was confirmed extinct in November of 2011.

On
the internet, news of the extinction spread in the years 2011, 2013 and again
this year, 2015 but it was first noted to be likely extinct in 2006.

I hope
that the bad guys get caught, put behind bars and the key thrown away.

I dream
that rhinos will once again flourish the planet and that the young children of
today will get to see the rhinos of tomorrow.

Rhino facts

They are herbivores that either graze on
grasses or eat trees and bushes depending on whether they are a Black or White
Rhino.

Black and white rhinos have different lip
shapes.

Rhinos have extremely good hearing and a
great sense of smell, which makes up for their poor eyesight.